We know, all the years are confusing! But here’s the rule of thumb: you should be using tax forms from two years prior to the FAFSA® (or academic) year’s start. For example:
You are applying for financial aid for the 2026-2027 school year. (In other words, you want money to cover attending college in 2026-2027.)
This means you should fill out the same academic year’s FAFSA® form--in other words, the 2026-2027 FAFSA®. This is the one that opens one academic year prior. This form opens by October 1, 2025.
You therefore need to submit information from 2 years prior, i.e. your 2024 tax form.
Remember that your taxes are filed the following year, so your 2024 income = 2024 tax form = filed (usually) in April 2025.
Although this means you are usually reporting quite old income data, it allows you to submit your FAFSA® well before college starts. In fact, we recommend you try to submit your FAFSA® as close to possible to the opening date (October 1, 2025), as some financial aid is granted on a first-come, first-served basis.